Monthly Archives: September 2013

If you haven’t read up about the dangers of fake news, then as a small business owner, now is definitely the time. This is especially true if you’re active on social media, write a blog or use online news from associates, suppliers or sector commentators to help sell your services. Read More

Your agency will appreciate you writing a clear brief, and the process of composing it will help you define your requirements and expectations and help to justify the expenditure to other decision makers in your organisation. They might also have something to contribute to the brief: it shouldn’t be a document written by a committee but it should a document, not just a verbal brief, and it should be drafted by one person and scrutinised by at least one other, preferably more. This is true of a brief for any form of marketing communications, not just PR. Read More

We always check out the predicted trends affecting our business at this time of year. Our immediate focus is looking ahead to what’s around the corner for public relations next year because this seems to be the big issue right across the globe. Read More

Predicting the future (accurately) is notoriously difficult; radio didn’t signal the death of newspapers; TV didn’t either, and although the internet may be signalling, it’s probably safe to assume that The FT, The Times, The Daily Mail and even The Guardian aren’t about to fold any time soon. However, in the next five years one or more may become web only, like The Independent, and more Christmas shopping will be on line this year than last, as has been the case every year for many years. In the last two decades the internet has changed marketing for ever.

Amongst other trends, the internet has seen the rise of content production by amateurs. Anyone and everyone can write copy and upload it with pictures – sometimes to professional standards… more often not. That doesn’t make the profession of journalist redundant; indeed reporting and commenting on social media – and interacting with it – has become part of the journalist’s role – and part of the role of PR. Drafting blog posts, responding to Twitter storms, creating content for Facebook pages, search engine optimisation and smoothing the customer’s digital journey may not fall within the traditional definition of PR – but they are all concerned with relationships with the media and the public.

Research means different things to different people, but there’s a consensus on it being a process of enquiry and investigation; systematic and methodical, a contribution to knowledge. It’s essential for evidence-based decision making (“seat of the pants” decision making is so last century).

There’s still a role for intuition, in management in general and marketing and PR in particular, but even the best intuition needs to be supported by having a handle on the facts. Guessing or assuming may appear to save money but it can lead to costly mistakes.

For example, it’s simply no good speculating on how many High Net Worth individuals there might be in the UK, and where they are.

Keeping your brand safe and secure is vitally important in the age of digital marketing. In this blog we’ll talk about your own online presence such as blogs, websites and social media. However, it’s worth noting that you have a responsibility to your customers too, especially if you hold personal and financial information about them on your systems. Read More

Staying on top of social media trends is vital if businesses want to increase user engagement, share company content and drive sales.

The requirement for a strong social media presence has been reinforced this year and the impetus behind digital marketing is set to gather pace over the next 12 months. With 2018 just around the corner it’s time to start preparing for the changing social media landscape. Read More

Social Media is one of the biggest and emerging industries in the modern world. Due to constant updates, social media platforms continue to grow in popularity. Social media is no longer limited to the younger generation, but has now become popular across all age demographics and is an essential marketing tool for millions of growing businesses. Through this popularity, standout trends continue to emerge each year.

The need for strong social media presence has continued to soar in 2017 and will only increase in prominence in 2018.

You may be surprised, but public relations and email marketing have a lot more in common than might first appear. Despite the facts that email marketing is more technology and internet based while PR is more writing based, both seek to achieve a lot of the same goals and can learn from each other.

Every industry is different and has its own language. The email marketing community, too, has its own jargon that sets it apart. Whether you send email campaigns or receive them, you should be aware of the email terminology. However, many PR professionals see email marketing as overly technical and fail to understand its relevant insights.

Some people consider grammar an annoying technicality that doesn’t warrant much effort because what really matters is what you have to say.

We disagree. From crafting press releases to developing copy for client brochures and everything in between, writing is a passion of ours and we think it’s important to make the effort to get it right.

This will also have a significant impact on how you conduct your marketing activities.

What is GDPR?

The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a new legislation that will protect all EU citizens from privacy and data breaches. It introduced tougher fines for non-compliance and breaches, and gives people more say over what companies can do with their data. The GDPR will apply to all companies processing Personal Identifiable Information (PII) of those residing in the EU.

With more than 1.5 billion people using Facebook, it’s no secret that the social network is the place to be if you want to reach a large audience.

Facebook offers a variety of opportunities to attract and engage potential customers, yet organisations often say they find it difficult to build an interesting and attractive page.

If you’re looking to encourage people to follow you, it’s vital to reward them with relevant content which they will find interesting and will be keen to share. This means developing a content strategy that works for your company and is both business-led and in keeping with the organisation’s culture.

As Instagram introduces live stories and Twitter undergoes a major facelift with key changes to its iOS app, one thing is clear – social media is one of the fastest changing areas of marketing communications.

2016 saw a growth in the popularity of video as a content marketing format. From 360-degree videos to Facebook live, marketers are responding to audiences’ shorter attention spans by making content more interactive and visual.

Traditionally, Public Relations was focussed on achieving results through earned media. With the increase in digital media and the public’s ever-shorter attention span, to be effective PR cannot afford to limit itself to one particular type of communication.

Organisations all over the world are constantly looking for ways to promote their business.

There are several strategies that rely on good content, which include blog posts. While your website or blog site is bursting with new, fresh content, unfortunately soon enough it becomes hard to think of new topics that will engage your audience.

If you’re in an active industry with real time news, there is always something to write about. With Election Day coming up, we can see real advantage for growing political, opinionated and inspirational content.

Below are Changeworks’ top tips to use to make content creation easier and keep generating valuable and interesting content.

No amount of promotion or SEO is going to drive ROI for your content if no one cares about it. Without demand for the information it provides, your content has little meaning. Start generating ideas that people want to learn about, or your content strategy will not succeed.

Written by Jordan Dalziel, Junior Account Executive at Changeworks Communications. The 19-year-old recently completed a Level 4 Diploma in Public Relations, with the support of the PRCA and her Changeworks colleagues.

33% of email recipients decide whether or not to open an email based on subject line alone. It is vital to craft subject lines that are compelling enough to get users to click through.

We have just started working with a new client which is solely based on email marketing campaigns, so we thought it was only right to share our insight of the tips we use to draft open worthy subject lines.

The queues at gym doors around the country may be dwindling a little bit as we get towards the end of January but the numbers will remain up for a couple more months at least. Similarly, the weight-loss group meetings will be squeezing into village halls across the UK for a little while longer, trailing off after the obligatory six months or so…

Listening is an effective part of communicating, and a key component to strengthening relationships. Taking the time to actively listen to a client, colleague or supplier shows them that their thoughts are valued.

As the year comes to an end we would like to thank the clients and strategic partners we have worked with in 2016. Changeworks has had a very successful year and is looking forward to what 2017 may bring. Read More

Making your first impressions count is one of the most important qualities in the business world, especially in Public Relations. As well as looking smart and impressing your clients with terrific work, it is vital you present your personality well.

Every marketing agency in the country advises their clients that they must have a digital presence. It is essential, companies are told, to have your name appearing regularly on the main social media platforms, including Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook.

Wednesday nights sure have become more exciting with the Great British Bake Off returning to our screens. The ‘Bake Off’ showcases groups of extremely talented men and women who dedicate hours of their time to push themselves to be the ultimate star; watching the show has inspired us and we have definitely learnt a few lessons from watching the show.

With the 2016 Olympics well underway, we are recognising the similarities they have with marketing. Rio was chosen to be the summer Olympic host in 2009 which has been talked about ever since and we sure are being inspired by the sporting events.

Blogging is one of the greatest tools for learning how to become a better writer, connect with like-minded people, showcase your skills and build your brand. Whether you’re a beginner blogger or you’ve been doing it for years, we are sure you are still looking for advice to improve.

Helping our clients plan for exhibitions is a significant part of the services we provide. When it comes to exhibition planning, successful PR isn’t just about sending out a press release, we invest time in advance to research the media, create a message and develop a strategy.

There is a trend in this age of zero hours and minimum wage to take on graduates who are desperate for a first job and give them work that is well beyond their capabilities. The inevitable result is that the quality of work produced will not be to the standard that the employer is wanting and disagreements, disappointment and disillusionment will follow.

Twitter is one of the biggest online marketing phenomena in the business world; it has been growing faster than any other social network and is expected to grow at an even faster rate in the future. As a social platform, Twitter offers many benefits to businesses.

Do you want to make your SEO less complicated? You don’t want to be suffocating yourself with statistics, KPIs, conversations, rankings and audits. We are all about data and tools that can make your business easier.

Creating meaningful and relevant content – wherever it may be used – is valuable for any business wanting to succeed. Incorporating repurposed content into your overall strategy is often overlooked, but a valuable approach in the business world.

Here at Changeworks Communications we were delighted to see a small news item relating to a major event in the life of an extremely influential person who has literally changed – and even saved – over 100,000 lives.

One of the most rewarding experiences we can have in our lives is the connection we have with other people. Positive and supportive relationships can help us to feel motivated and more satisfied with our lives – we can improve our work, home and social lives.

The most successful PR campaign of recent times or an embarrassing misfire that’s left scientists with egg on their ‘boatraces’? That’s the question that many in PR circles are debating following the decision to name a research vessel after the UK’s best known naturalist rather than Boaty McBoatface – the suggestion in a popular public vote.

Do you want to raise the profile of your company in a short space of time? If so, you should consider email marketing. It is one of the most impressive tools offering many advantages, especially when compared to other marketing channels.

Measuring how successful your PR efforts are has always been a challenge. There are thousands upon thousands of books and courses that look at the issue but their conclusions are often contradictory and confusing.

They say if you have a good story to tell in your press release that it will be published. That’s a quaint thought but in the highly busy 21st century, where some editors are responsible for three publications at a time, the reality can be quite different.

The marketing industry has a language all of its own, so any new starters in the industry might be confused with all the technical jargon.
PR and marketing companies will expect you to know them and will often throw them around as casually as they would the word “food”.

Manipulation is all too common in relationships. At the heart of such behaviour is the Drama Triangle. If manipulation is about filling an empty hole inside of you with power and control of others. The opposite of this is about taking responsibility for how it affects you and others.

Event planning isn’t rocket science, but it requires an acute organization and constant attention to detail. If everything goes off without a hitch, it often goes without notice, but if something goes awry, it’s a public display of failure.
1. Start Early: There is no such thing as having too much time to plan an event. For large-scale events, start planning four to five months in advance. For smaller events, one to two months is reasonable. Try to finalize all major contracts (venue and vendors) a full month before the event date.

Social media is the future of communication. It provides a range of internet tools which increase and enhance the sharing of information. Social media makes the transfer of text posts, photos, video, audio and general information sharing easier. Social media is used all over the world for personal and business users.